[Interview] The Reason Why Pulmuone Jjajang Ramen Tastes Better

Interview with Pulmuone Foods PM Kim Yuseon

Jjajang ramen is delicious anytime and anywhere. There are more ways to cook it compared to regular instant noodles; some people drain some of the water used to boil the noodles, sprinkle the jjajang powder, and wait until the noodles fully absorb the sauce before eating, while others drain all the water and mix it before eating. There are also various ways to enjoy the finished jjajang ramen deliciously. Some people like to top it with a fried egg, some eat it with kimchi, and others prefer to eat it with pickled radish like jjajangmyeon. Although preferences for making and eating it differ, the love for jjajang ramen is the same for everyone. The creation of jjajang ramen had a clear reason as a 'substitute food' for those who couldn't afford expensive jjajangmyeon, but now jjajang ramen has become a completely separate food from jjajangmyeon. The taste of jjajang ramen is like that too. Although not only one brand offers jjajang ramen, there is a unique 'taste' that comes to mind when thinking of jjajang ramen. Pulmuone has provided a 'stimulus' to our already fixed taste and brain acceptance. It boldly defeated the familiar taste of existing jjajang ramen and conquered the palate with a new jjajang ramen flavor. The star of this is the 'Roasting Scallion Oil Jjajangmyeon.' Besides 'scallion oil jjajangmyeon,' there is also 'chili oil jjajangmyeon,' and 'Roasting Red Snow Crab Jjamppong' has been released. The healthy dried noodles with rich flavor are attractive. We met Kim Yuseon, the PM (Product Manager, hereafter Kim PM) who planned and oversaw the marketing of this roasting lineup, to hear various stories about roasting jjajangmyeon.

As mentioned earlier, the unique taste of jjajang ramen is already imprinted on the public. Although they emphasized 'scallion oil,' they inevitably had to think deeply about differentiating the taste. Regarding this, Kim PM said, "Rather than worrying about differentiating the taste, we focused on implementing a rich jjajang flavor. We captured the point of taste differentiation with the scallion oil flavoring oil, which was not present in the existing market."

The idea that 'roasting' is only for coffee was also overturned. Now, we even eat jjajang ramen through roasting. Kim PM explained, "The roasting method is an excellent technique that raises the temperature up to 150℃ to roast ingredients, maintaining flavor and aroma while producing a distinct taste." Regarding the planning intention, she added, "Since jjajangmyeon is a noodle dish cooked by stir-frying, we planned the roasting jjajangmyeon series as the most suitable series."

Scallion oil was also a sensation at the time. Many might have already known it was delicious, but it is not easy to implement. Especially combining it with jjajang ramen felt somewhat fresh.

"Chinese cuisine basically uses scallion oil in many dishes. At the time of release (September 2021), the cooking method of making scallion oil was trending, and since jjajangmyeon is also a dish stir-fried with oil, we thought the scallion oil flavor would go well, so we chose scallion oil flavoring oil."

While the deep jjajang taste and rich flavor are good, the pinnacle of the advantages of roasting jjajangmyeon is probably the dried noodles. Not only are they healthier because they are not fried, but they also absorb the sauce more thoroughly, allowing you to enjoy a richer taste. This is a common feature not only of roasting jjajangmyeon but also of products released by Pulmuone. Kim PM explained about the dried noodles, "They are not fried but slowly air-dried, making the noodles chewy and allowing you to taste the rich flavor of the sauce as it is."

With Pulmuone's patented method, fine pores are created in the noodles, allowing any sauce to be absorbed well, making them even more delicious. This patent is for 'a method of manufacturing dried noodles with many pores that enable various fresh noodle textures and excellent soup absorption' (*Patent No. 10-1792226, October 2017).

Pulmuone is serious about noodles to the extent of patenting the process. To clearly understand the needs for jjajang ramen, they did not stop researching 'taste' by tasting Chinese cuisine from all over the country.

"We thought a lot about what kind of taste consumers want in jjajang ramen and focused on it. To find that taste, when preparing roasting jjajang, we visited numerous Chinese specialty restaurants nationwide with researchers, and through consumer surveys, we found that consumers have high expectations for the rich taste of jjajang and the flavoring oil in jjajang ramen."

Even though they released such a unique jjajang ramen, is there a 'know-how to enjoy it deliciously' that only the PM knows? Kim PM shared, "Roasting jjajangmyeon is delicious just by itself (laughs), but it is also tasty when eaten with a fried egg or scallion kimchi. I also recommend mixing the roasting jjajang scallion oil product with chili oil."

Pulmuone is a company familiar to the public not only for ingredients like tofu and noodles but recently also for earth-friendly vegan diet foods. Although one might feel some distance from instant noodles, which are considered fast food, when looking at the noodles and ingredients, one thinks, 'As expected.' The dried noodles and roasting techniques mentioned earlier are the reasons. This is probably because Pulmuone pursues a certain taste for ramen. Kim PM explained, "With dried noodles, the calories are low, and following Pulmuone's principle of minimal additives, it is healthy. The roasting method produces a distinct taste, aiming for a delicious ramen taste."

The roasting types are not limited to jjajang ramen. Last year, roasting tonkotsu ramen and roasting jjamppong with red snow crab and other roasting broth noodle series were released. Kim PM said, "In the future, we plan to expand not only the jjajangmyeon series but also broth noodles," raising expectations for upcoming products.

As the roasting jjajang and jjamppong series gain more enthusiasts, word of mouth is spreading. More people are eating jjajang ramen only with Pulmuone products. Being in the position to plan this must bring a sense of pride. Kim PM said with a smile, "Consumers voluntarily leave positive product reviews. Especially impressive are comments like 'Roasting jjajangmyeon is delicious,' and 'I switched from other brands' jjajang ramen to roasting jjajangmyeon.' It also feels good when famous YouTubers enjoy roasting jjajangmyeon in their mukbang videos."

Photo = Provided by Pulmuone

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.